Questing is Serious Business
by Mr.88
Summary: A world won from the grasp of Izanami just begs to be explored and that's where the Seekers of Truth come come. Join Kanji, Teddie and Yukiko as they show newcomer Naoki the ropes when it comes to trailblazer the alien yet familiar terrain. A Post Persona 4 story.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4 is property of Atlus.

Questing is Serious Business

Under the intense glare of the early spring sun, Kanji stirred from his slumber. Sunday was the one day of the week where he could sleep in without ma or that damn alarm clock waking him up. Turning to face his morning time nemesis, he saw that it was only 8:19. "Unbelievable," he muttered to himself as he rolled out of bed. He figured that the string of late nights should have knocked him out but still he found himself waking with the dawn. Of course, he could just go to bed early but doing the long distance thing with the ladies in his life took priority. Compared to the awesome marathon Skype sessions they'd have, sleep just couldn't compete.

Cursing under his breath, he padded over to the bathroom for his customary piss and shave. The ritual took only a few minutes, since he started showering at night and just slicked his hair back. It was amazing how much time he saved by cutting out the daily search for black roots and the bleaching that came soon after. If he knew back in high school how much time he'd wasted on the whole thing, he might have been on time more often instead of keeping the girls waiting each morning. "Must've spent more time in the can than Rise or Naoto," he muttered to himself, and snorted at the thought of your run of the mill punk being higher maintenance than one of Japan's top idols and a young detective prodigy that used hide her gender combined.

Pausing at the mirror, he inspected the awesome new eyebrow stud he got during his last visit to the city. For once Ma didn't seem to mind, preferring the one ring through the brow over the half dozen he used to sport in his left ear. Said it made it made him look quaint, although Kanji couldn't see why. At least he could still feel badass while being presentable enough not to scare folks away from the textile shop. Also, on the more practical side of things, it was much harder to grab onto in a fight than the earrings were. Thinking back, he was pretty luck that neither the shadow monsters nor the various thugs, wannabe gangsters and biker pukes he used to butt heads with didn't grab a hold of the rings and yank his ear clean off.

Coming out of the can, he overheard voices coming from the kitchen. "Funny, Ma didn't mention anything about company," Kanji mumbled to himself. For a moment he considered getting dressed but his stomach quickly overrode that thought. Wouldn't do to argue with the boss after all.

Moving closer, he caught a glimpse of his bud Teddie chatting with his ma while still wearing the bottom part of his "mascot suit". The red and blue cartoon bear ensemble looked out of place in the cozy apartment he shared with his ma, being used to seeing it in the Junes department store. However, that thought was quickly eclipsed by the realization that the oh-so-soft looking head was sitting on the counter unguarded. Oh how he wished to feel the fur beneath his fingers, to luxuriate in its sensation and commit the texture to memory. To touch it would be like seeing the sun set over the ocean for the first time, or catching a glimpse of that old picture of the smirking lady all the brainiacs fawned over. What was it called again, the Mona something or rather?

Almost in a trance, he reached for the bear head. Just as his fingertips were just a breath away, his train of thought was broken. "Good morning Kanji, did you sleep well?" his ma said to him. Finally noticing Kanji's proximity to the head, Teddie snatched it back up and blew a raspberry his way. Drat, foiled again!

"Morning Ma, morning Ted," Kanji groggily replied. "Sleep alright but the curtains ain't doing their job. One day I get some extra shuteye and that dam err... darn sun woke me up." He was half way to the fridge when Teddie's presence finally registered. "Hey Ted, when did you get here?"

"I got here just in time for breakfast! Your infinitely wise and beautiful mother made a meal fit for a growing cub like myself!" he exclaimed before demolishing the food set in front of him.

"Your friend got here 10 minutes ago and gave me quiet the start, " Tatsumi-san called over her shoulder as she prepared his breakfast. "I don't mind you having your friends over dear, but next time warn me if they're coming through the television."

Kanji went wide-eyed when he heard this."Oh shi... sorry Ma, I forgot he was coming over this morning, " he said apologetically. Turning to the blonde boy, he exclaimed, "What's the big idea busting into here like that anyways Ted? You fixing to give my ma a heart attacked?! Why didn't you just use the door like we kept telling you?"

"S-sorry Kanji-kun," Teddie chocked out. An angry Kanji can be a scary one, even if he never laid a finger on you. "I just figured that since your mom knows about me and my world it'll be ok. Besides, Junes is still closed right now. There's no way I leave through the store without running into anyone, even if I'm being beary careful. It was either this or pop into Yukiko's room." A mischievous grin spread across his face as the thought percolated in his mind. "Come to think of it, maybe Yuki-chan would like a personal wakeup call sometime," he said smoothly.

"Forget it Ted, she'd whoop your ass before you'd know it. You'd probably be safer head butting a hornet's nest," Kanji replied. "Shit, just call before you pop by next time. So, what is it that you couldn't wait another hour for?"

"You mean you don't remember? You promised you'd help me go trail blazing!"

"That was today? Damn, can't believe that slipped my mind, " Kanji said.

"Oh yes, Theodore-san was telling me about it, " Kanji's mom said as she dutifully served up breakfast. "He said that you and your other friends have been helping him explore that world he comes from. I can't say that I'm thrilled about going into such dangerous places though, even if it's to help a friend."

"Ah come on Ma, it's not that bad. Well, not now at least, "Kanji admitted. "Since that fog disappeared it's only been pockets of the baddies around, honest. Hell, it's probably safer being over there than walking around the city at night."

"If you say so dear." The doorbell sounded at that moment, and Tatsumi-san rose. "I'll see who it is, you enjoy your breakfast."

"That might be Yuki-chan. She's coming with us today," Teddie chimed in. "Better get dressed if you don't want her to see your puppy paws jammies Kanji-kun. "

"Hah! Trying to get at my breakfast, huh? Not falling for it again Ted, "Kanji said between bites of food. "'Sides, it's not like she ain't seen me in less. Remember when the girls stole our hot springs time? I'm practically wearing a snowsuit compared to then!"

"Oh yeah, we were in nothing but towels. Without the proper attire, my stunning radiance was just too much for them to stand. They just had to drive us out with that barrage of baskets, least their minds slip into such endless bliss."

"Hell of a selective memory you got Ted. Next thing you'll tell me you single handedly took out Izanami with a melon scooper while riding a spotted unicorn and getting a backrub from the Ladies Volleyball team, " Kanji joked.

"Ohhh, I like your version better than the one I cooked up. You mind if I use that next time we go cruisin' for ladies?" Teddie asked earnestly.

"Sure. If you can get a lady with something that ridiculous you can even take full credit for it."

The ancient stairs leading up to the apartment groaned as Tatsumi-san returned with two new arrivals. Like Teddie predicted, Yukiko showed up but she was also joined by Kanji's friend Naoki. Kanji mentally noted that she came prepared with her messenger bag and that thick fall jacket he patched last month, the one big enough to cover the armor she wore for their otherworldly trips. Although a bit on the bulky side, it was less conspicuous than her wearing her old school jacket and offered more protection. Standing beside her, Naoki looked considerably underdressed.

"My, you certainly are popular this morning Kanji-Bō," Kanji's mom said. "It's a good thing we're not opened Sundays. Why don't I put on some tea for our guests while you finish eating?" Before Kanji could protest, his mother was already rooting around for the kettle.

"Good morning Kanji-kun, " Yukiko greeted him. "I was going to ask if you were ready for today but it looks like I came a little early. " A small smile spread across her face. "Nice pants by the way. They look so soft and comfortable."

"T-thanks Yukiko-senpai, " Kanji spurted out as his face went as hot as July. Thinking about his reaction, he proud of himself for taking the compliment instead lashing out like he used to. He'd come a long way from the emotionally constipated youth he was but still would get easily flustered whenever he was complimented by a pretty girl, even if it was just Yukiko.

Noticing the other new arrival, Kanji called out to him, "Morning Naoki, s'up?"

"Hey man, " Naoki added. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to knock around some balls but Amagi-san just told me you were going to help her with some errands. "

"Yup, we're going exploring in my world today!" Teddie enthusiastically replied. "Braving the wilds, overcoming impossible odds and seeing beautiful sights never seen by man or bear before. It's going to be a blast!"

Yukiko looked shaken by the outburst. "Uh... what Teddie meant was, I mean to say was..." and quickly trailed off. "Teddie, not now!" she hissed at the blonde.

"It's okay, really, " Naoki said. "I know about that stuff."

"You do? But how?" she asked him.

"Well, there was the time Ted accidently surprised me at Junes. One minute I was watching the game and the next I got a face full of mascot, " he said as he shook his head. "I'm surprised that hasn't happened more often, seeing how the place is always packed." Yukiko didn't know how to respond the news. She always thought they'd be labeled as lunatics or worse if anyone talked about the TV world, and here they were talking about like it was nothing. She didn't know if she should be relieved or let down by the lack of drama involved.

Kanji chimed in. "Yeah, we've been pretty lucky with that. Oh, don't worry about my ma overhearing us, she knows too. And before you ask, I had to tell her after she caught me coming home that time I got into that scrap with the what-cha-ma-call-it Beast thing in Rise's place. Saw the claw marks on the back of my shirt and thought those bikers were desperate enough to sic a lion on me. I didn't want her worrying about those wimps giving her trouble so laid it out for her there and then, complete with putting my hand through the TV."

"I must say it certainly was a surprise when my son did that. I couldn't believe my eyes when the screen rippled like that, " Kanji's mom admitted as she handed them their tea. "I cannot say that I liked the choice in extra-curricular activity but at least it was a more wholesome exercise than the vigilantism. At the very least it gave my Kanji-Bō the chance to make more friends. You couldn't tell back then but he was lonely much of the time."

"Ah Ma!"

"Well you were, there's no shame in admitting that dear. "

Pushing back from the table, Kanji said, "Right, time to get ready. Gimme five and we're good to go." After dumping his plate in the sink, he marched off to his room. He was half way there when he got an idea. Turning back, he asked "Hey Naoki, you wanna join us? Well, if the others are ok with it."

Naoki thought this over for a moment. "Oh, I don't know... I don't want to get in the way of you guys. The way you talked about it over there, it sounded like some serious business."

"It won't be a problem! Any friend of Sensei and Kanji is a friend of mine, and I always look out for my friends. We'll make sure you don't get hurt, right Yuki-chan?"

"That's right, and if you do our magic will fix you right up, " Yukiko added. "Hmmm... that sounded less weird in my head. Anyways, as long as you're prepared you'll be fine."

"Well, if it's no problem with you guys ... then I'm in. I always wanted to go traveling and this sounds like an amazing opportunity. I mean, going to a mysterious other world without missing a day a work? I'd regret it forever! " Naoki exclaimed.

"Great, it's settled, "Kanji concluded. "I'll go root around for my spare armor while you grab the essentials. You know, water, towels, that type of thing. Maybe something you can use as a weapon if the baddies get close. We run into wimps mainly so things won't get crazy."

Yukiko nodded. "We'll help Naoki-san pick out what he needs while you get dressed. I doubt you'll want to go out like that," she noted as she shot a glance at his fuzzy pyjama pants.

"Awesome, see you guys in five." Moving into his room, Kanji swapped the PJs for jeans and his favorite leather jacket which went over his armor. After finding a vest for Naoki, he started putting together his adventuring pack. "Lets see... my shades check, needle and thread check, canteen check, sunscreen check, dad's lighter" he said as he patted his pocket, "check, compass... still missing, duct tape and healing stuff check. Oh, can't forget my emergency rations. Where is that box... ah, gotcha!" Fishing out the box of animal crackers, he carefully placed it at the top of the backpack. Don't want them to get crumbly.

Slinging the backpack over a shoulder and strapping his shield to his back, he felt ready to take on a world or two. He found the Adventuring Team (as they called themselves now) waiting by the set. Naoki had a gray jacket on now and was carrying a gym bag with a bat sticking out. "I grabbed your shoes on the way up, figured I'd save you a trip," he said.

"Thanks man, lets swap," Kanji said as he held out the vest. While Naoki struggled into the vest, Kanji called out, "Hey Ma, headin' out. Have a nice day!" Sticking his hand through the screen, he beckoned Naoki to step through before diving in himself.

The trip through the TV was trippy as ever. The swirling colours reminded Kanji of the intro that TV show Naoto made him watch a few times with the time traveling telephone booth, except the whooshing noises didn't get on his nerves. Landing on his feet, he felt that familiar jolt crawl up his spine as his connection to the power that let him summon his persona became reaffirmed. He found his buddy face first on the ground not even a foot away. "Oops, sorry man. Forgot to tell you about that landing, " he said as he helped his friend up.

"It's ok. Good thing I only hurt my dignity there, " Naoki joked. After dusting himself off, he finally got the chance to look around. They were in some kind of small hut, complete with a coat rack on the wall and a mat for shoes. Aside from the small shelf full of herbal remedies you'd find in the Shiroku Shop, the place was pretty sparse. "Kanji, does something live here? The place looks practically new."

"Nah, this is just a welcome pad. Ted made it so we didn't have to worry about some uglies jumping us whenever we pop in or out. He got 'em set up around wherever there's a link to our world. "

"Oh, so this is where Ted can access the TV in your living room. Hmm... since you said there's more huts does that mean he can access other parts of the world?"

"Yeah, but we tend to stick to exits we know to make sure we don't hit with trespassing. At first we stuck to going through Junes back when it was foggy over here but since then we've branched out. "

"Guess that makes sense. If the fog was anything like it was in town a couple of years ago, I'd play it safe too." Naoki took a moment to mull over all this. Fifth dimensional thinking was tricky when you're dealing with multiple planes of existence. "Sorry to keep asking you questions Kanji, but this is all so amazing! How do you where to find these exits? Does one of you stick your hand in TV and the others find it somehow?"

Surprise hit Kanji in the face like a cold mackerel. "Whoa! That's actually pretty close to the truth. Ted got a crazy accurate nose and can sniff us out pretty easily now. Once he got the scent, he's good to go so we don't have to stick our arms through the portal the whole time. Good thing too, my arm gets cold for some reason if I leave it in too long."

From behind him, Naoki heard the sound of two more people hitting the ground. "Sorry we took so long Kanji-kun. I needed to use your washroom before we came over," Yukiko said apologetically.

"It's cool. I was just telling Naoki how the exits work."

"Oh yes, I think I got the hang of it," Naoki added.

Yukiko looked relieved when she heard the news. "Really? Well, that's a relief. I think it took Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun two hours to explain it to Rise-kun and Chie-kun. They even had to make a cute little diorama with Naoto-kun's action figures to explain it all."

"I'd like to see that sometime, " Naoki chuckled. Putting his hands together, he gave his recap. "So here's what I caught so far. Basically, the exits you use in this world correlates to a specific location in our world. However, for some reason the link is through television screens."

"Not just TVs, "Teddie chimed in. "Anything with a screen works too, like computers and the newer cellphones. Oh, Rise-chan was beary angry when she tried using her new ePhone."

"Good to know if I ever get superpowers," Naoki said matter of fact before continuing on. "Since we're inside the hut when arrive, it looks like the 'hole' we come through isn't that far off the ground. It also looks like the entrance doesn't move; otherwise someone would have been stuck in a wall by now. "

"That's actually pretty clever of you Naoki-san. I don't think even Yu-kun thought about the entrance's location," Yukiko admitted. "Good thing nobody ended up in the wall, eh Teddie? Imagine what it would be like if that happened to Yousuke-kun."

"That would be unbearable, " Teddie agreed. "Well, I've had my fill of smarty talk for awhile. You ready to see my world?"

A/N: Few things I wanted to cover. First of all, Bō used to refer to boys. Kind of like the male equivalent to "Chan", except it's not used as a pet honorific for teenagers. Secondly, since the game came out in 2008 it didn't predict the increasing popularity in smart phones, thus why everyone was still using flip phones in 2011. For my take on the world of Persona 3/4, the popularity of smart phones didn't start to boom until around 2013. Also, copyrighted names have been given similar sounding names to keep in the flavor of the game (iPhone=ePhone, posicle=topsicle, that sort of thing).

Anyways, reviews are always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ah yes, another chapter in this little experiment of mine. Not much was said about the TV world save the dungeons and even those were buildings and not actual areas outdoors. I wanted to explore a bit about how those monsters that we all fought in game inhabited this strange world and I even added some new creatures in.

Chapter 2

Naoki wasn't sure what he was expecting when he stepped through the door but the sight that greeted him was the last thing he expected. He expected a completely alien landscape full of weird plants and weirder life forms. Not this... paradise that seemed to sit right in front of him. It was almost like stepping into Lord of the Rings, or one of the earlier Latest Tale games. He almost expected to see a castle peaking out over the mountains or a pack of marauding goblins marching across the plains nearby. The only thing that ruined the illusion was the monkey like creature pulling fruit from a nearby tree with its stomach tentacles.

Not far from the hut was a simple stone structure that looked like a sundial with the center part missing. You couldn't tell from a glance but if you starred at it long enough, you'd noticed that it made a faint glow. It was by this structure that the four found themselves in front of. "This is a teleportation way station Naoki-kun," explained Teddie. "Or as everyone else but Nao-chan calls it, a 'warp point'. It's pretty neat and easy to use! All you have to do is put your hand on the middle, think the name of the point you want to go to, like "Kanji's house" and away you go."

"Neat. Do you have any idea where this came from?"

"Yup, I made it, " Teddie say matter of fact. "It's not so hard once you know the trick. It's kind of like making one of your delicious dumplings, right Yuki-chan?"

As always, Yukiko missed the point. "I don't know about that. You practically mastered making these points over night while I've spent forever getting that one recipe right."

"Least he got it right the first time. I've been playing guinea pig for these two and I tell yah after trying Yukiko's early attempts, being broken into itty bitty pieces don't sound too bad in comparison," Kanji muttered before getting an elbow to the gut.

"Damn, I was just kidding Yukiko, sorry! Man, you hit as hard as Chie." Rubbing his stomach, Kanji turned to Naoki, "Hey, since this is your first time here, would you like to go first? Like Ted said earlier, it's pretty easy. Just think..."

"Junes, Teddie says it's the best location to start from today, " Yukiko supplied.

Naoki looked at the stone structure. Up close, it seemed to ooze some kind of energy. "Are you sure it's safe Kanji?" he asked.

"Yeah, just think Junes and you'll be fine. And don't worry about your mind wander, yer molecules and junk won't go anywhere if you think the wrong thing."

Teddie beamed. "It's a safety feature I put in. Everyone was beary relieved especially Yousuke. He even stopped worrying about being turned into a fly, thought I don't know why he'd think that could happen. "

"It's from an old movie from oh... at least twenty years back." Naoki said. A brief moment went by before he spoke up. "O-Okay Teddie-san, I'll do it. If Kanji did it before without getting stuck with an extra set of legs, I think I'll be ok."

"Atta boy Naoki! No guts, no glory! You show that magic stone thingie you ain't scared of it!"

"Thanks coach, " Naoki said with a smile. He was doing his best to hide it but the anticipation of being taken apart and being slapped back together was making his knees knock. Even the macho instinct not to look to bad in from a cute girl like Yukiko didn't help ease his nerves. It was Kanji's brief pep talk, in his typical over the top fashion, that did the job as he found himself moving to the dais without a quiver in his step. "See you on the other side!" he called out before he disappeared in a flash of light.

The experience was different than the trip through the TV. It seemed almost instantaneous to Naoki. One moment he was in the middle of a field, the next he was inside some kind of building. The only thing that he actually experienced was a bright light filling his vision before being greeted by the gloom. At first he thought he was in a circus tent before noticing the old cameras and lights that littered the place. They looked like they haven't been used in years. He was wondering where it all came from when something heavy slammed into his back and sent him sprawling. For a moment he thought one of those monsters had attacked him and in a panic he scrambled for his bat before the scent of lilacs filled his senses.

"Oops, sorry Naoki-san. I should have waited longer before coming over. Let me just..." Yukiko trailed off as something caught her eye. Following her gaze to the left Naoki saw what appeared to be a blue colored lion with a balloon of all things tethered to its back.

"It looks like it hasn't spotted us yet. Maybe if we stay still it'll get bored and wander off, " Naoki whispered to her.

"I don't think that's going to work, "Yukiko whispered back. And it looked like she was right.

Like a magnet, the beast was drawn to them. It let out an odd sounding roar before slowly slinking towards them. To Yukiko's ears it sounded more like a cat's meow with the volume cranked up than the growl of a predator. The beast was immediately flanked by two of its compatriots, one a reddish color while the other sported the same bluish mane like the first. Instead of surrounding them like normal lionesses would, the trio came at them head on. Yukiko tried to roll to the side but had accidently got tangled in the straps of Naoki's duffle bag. By the time they extracted themselves, the pack's leader was already upon them, its blackened teeth bearing ill intent. Just as it was about to pounce him, a familiar shape slammed right into the monster. Standing over the creature, Kanji let out a more impressive roar of his own before bringing his shield down on its head. A sickening crunch was heard and yet the blow merely succeeded in staggering the creature.

Risking a backwards glance, Kanji called out, "You guys ok?"

Yukiko brushed herself off before answering, "Yes, thanks to you." Naoki merely nodded, being too shaken to reply.

The red beast took a swipe at Kanji at that moment hoping to catch his distracted prey unaware but the tailor's instincts were too well honed by the countless battles. Its claws made a terrible scratching sound as it slide off the well polished shield. It reminded Kanji of the time that old bag Kashiwagi had the nerve to rake her nails across the blackboard when he was texting Naoto in the back instead of listening to her latest rant.

Shaking to clear the ringing in his head, he shouted, "Right, here's the plan. Yukiko, you light 'em up when you got the chance, we'll play with these cats in the meantime, right Ted?"

"That's right! We're putting these bad kitties on time out!" Teddie exclaimed as he took a swipe of his own at the third lion creature. The sight of the innocent looking mascot armed with a pair of lethal looking claws would have looked ridiculous to Naoki if the situation wasn't so dire.

Pulling out his bat, Naoki decided to try his best to join the fray. Trying his best to steady his shaking hands, he lashed out several times at the remaining monster yet none struck home. He wasn't going to hurt this weird creature but at least he took satisfaction that his awkward attacks were keeping it at bay. He was mid-swing when he heard Yukiko call out "Hear me Amaterasu!" accompanied by the sound of something shattering.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a beautiful winged creature of light appeared from behind her and bathed their opponents in a fire so intense that it seemed to have vaporized the two blue beasts almost immediately. That left the red one still standing though and it wasn't wasting any time trying to use Kanji like its own personal scratching post. Forgetting his nerves for a moment, Naoki rushed to the aid of his friend and brained the monster as hard as he could. The bat made a *boink* sound as the bat rebounded off its head. The blow hit it harder than he expected as the creature was sent sprawling. He was about try again when Teddie called out, "I got this!" and sprang at it claws extended. With a grace Naoki didn't think possible Teddie corkscrewed in the air into their last foe, literally drilling through its tough skin. Without uttering a whimper, the beast was no more.

"Phew, I think I broke a sweat," Yukiko uttered nonchalantly as she fanned her. "Are you alright Naoki-san?"

"Yes, I'm okay. A bit shaken up but that's all. I'm sorry that I wasn't much help back there."

Kanji snorted, "The hell with that crap! You didn't back down, and that's what matters. Hell, you did pretty good for your first time out, knocking that cat on its ass and all."

"That's right, " Teddie agreed. "This bear couldn't have done it without your help."

"It's kind of funny that we ran into monsters here. In the past they tended to avoid the soundstage area. I wonder what changed since then," Yukiko wondered out loud.

"Maybe they ran out of food?" Naoki guessed. "If they're anything like the lions in our world they'll usually stick to territory they know unless they run out of animals to hunt. Does that sound right to you Ted-san?"

Teddie mulled over this for a moment. "I'm not sure. Ever since the fog lifted I've seen some of the monsters eat but... " He sighed. "I just don't know. There's so much I don't know about my world."

"And that's why we're here Teddie. We're just as curious to learn about it as you are," Yukiko added.

"Hey Ted, you remember the camera this time?" Kanji called over from where the monsters were slain. He was already gathering up the bits left over for another one of his projects.

"Yup, and I brought extra batteries too! I got a bunch of them with my employee discount."

"Good to hear it. I want to get a shot of that puffy thing if we run into it again. I want to show the girls how cute it looked!" Kanji exclaimed before remembering how unmanly that sounded. "Err... and it'll be good for science and stuff too."

"It's cool man, " Naoki said. "I'm sure they'll love it."

"Thanks. Right, times a wasting so let's head out. You guys mind if I lead today?"

"Not at all Kanji-kun, I think it's your turn today anyways. Here's the map, " Yukiko said as she pulled out a green notebook from her pack. Kanji thumbed through it until he found what he was looking for. Naoki caught a glimpse of the contents and marveled at the level of detail used to sketch out the maps. From past school projects he'd done with the group he recognized the handwriting of Kanji and Naoto while others were belonged to someone else, probably Yukiko. The sketches he glimpsed required too steady a hand to be Rise's work or that of Yukiko's friend Chie.

After taking a moment, Kanji found the page he was looking for. "Right, we're checking out that valley we spotted last time if I 'member correctly. It's just past the spot where Rise ended up her first time here."

"You mean the strip mph!" Teddie began before Yukiko clamped a hand over his mouth.

"We're not talking about it in front of Kanji, remember? You know how protective he gets about Rise," she whispered to him. Talking in her normal voice she said, "Why yes Teddie, I believe that's the one. Lead on Kanji-kun. "

The air turned humid as the group ventured further away from the staging area and the plant life looked more at home in a tropical rainforest than anywhere in Japan. The plants Naoki first took for grass hid underground whenever the group came close and the vines-like plants went out of their way to try to cling to them. It felt odd to him that the plants would act this, acting proactive like an animal rather than reactive as plant life did back in their world. Thankfully the vegetation never got too dense and, as Yukiko explained happily, there didn't seem to be any bugs around to eat them alive.

A few times some of the local wildlife attacked but the team was able to fight them off effortlessly. At first the thought of combat made Naoki nervous but after the third time he was getting the hang of this monster hunting thing. Heck, he was starting to see why Kanji looked forward to it so much. It was like the adrenaline rush that came from doing dangerous stuff like skydiving mixed in with the camaraderie he experienced during his time on the basketball team and that primitive need to hunt. It felt satisfying, no more than that. It felt righteous, like they were ancient samurai or knights of old on some important mission. True, he was no master swordsman in combat but with practice and the tips the others gave him, he was finding his groove.

Since he didn't have access to Persona and their magic like the others did, Naoki was put in charge of the curative items and administering them whenever the need arose. It was odd to him that the various herbal remedies that barely worked back home literally worked miracles here, like healing wounds and curing poison, but it did explain why his friend Yu spent so much cash on the overpriced stuff at Shiroku. He wasn't sure why they worked differently here but he couldn't complain. They allowed him the chance to pull his own weight without putting the others at risk and for that he was grateful.

Along the way to the valley, the group had passed several weird structures, including a rusty looking bunker with a strange insignia on it and a rundown building that resembled a "love hotel" like the one his second year teacher made his class stay at during their school trip. Something about those two buildings made Kanji tense and Ted fall unusually quiet. The way these man-made structures stood out from the otherwise natural surrounds made Naoki curious and he wondered if these were the remains of those private hells Kanji told him about. Kanji only got tense like that these days when people badmouthed someone important to him, so that would make sense if that was the case.

If he was right, there wasn't a doubt in his mind who these "hells" belonged to. Rise had been called "a woman of loose morals" and worst by the town's gossips and her virtue was always questioned by the tabloids so the "love hotel" would make sense for her. It was more of a stretch but he believed that the bunker was where Naoto had ended up when she first entered this world. The combination of her intimidating intellect and her lack of social graces lead some students to wonder if she was cobbled together in some mad scientist's lab. The logic was cruel in its own way but Naoki knew firsthand how easily your thoughts can turn on you when you were at your lowest. He was tempted to bring it up but he stopped himself short. Knowing his friend, Naoki knew it was better to let Kanji mull things over for awhile rather than pester him about it. If he was wanted to talk, Kanji would approach him about it when he didn't feel like putting his fist through someone.

Naoki was brought out of his reverie when a school of flying fish-like creatures came hovering into the clearing. They looked ready to attack but Kanji didn't look worried in the slightest. "Pesce, these guys are pushovers Naoki. We'll have this done in no time. Persona!" he bellowed as he summoned a tarot card into his hand before breaking it. Almost instantly an impressive looking armored warrior appeared to rain lightning on the school, sending them toppling to the ground.

"Alright, bear-pile on the enemy!" Teddie shouted as he ran towards the stunned monsters. Kanji and Yukiko followed suit, looking quiet eager to go in for the kill.

The group was almost upon their prey when out of nowhere a large slimy creature came bouncing into the area and swallowed the Pesce whole. It had a spherical body with no traditional arms or legs to speak of, but rather a set of appendages that coiled like a spring to propel it forwards. Its body was dominated by its ridiculously large mouth with a tiny set of eyes dotted along its head. The newcomer seemed to regard the dumbfound group with a sense of curious before letting out a content burp. After a moment it almost seemed to nod at the quartet, or at least tilt in their general direction, before pivoting its body and bounced off from which it came.

The group continued to start at the creature's backside for quiet sometime before Kanji broke the silence. "Wow, never had that happen before."

"Yeah, it stole our kills! Good thing that didn't happen when we needed to train or else we'd take forever to get strong, " Teddie said.

"Oh that would drive Chie nuts. I can just see the look on her face if that happened to her, " Yukiko giggled to herself. "By the way Teddie, did you manage to get a picture of that... whatever it was?"

Teddie held the camera up with a flourish. "Yup, I got off a good one while it was staring at us. I'm glad we found something new didn't want to hurt us or else the shot would have been beary hard to take."

"It is odd though. The way it acted it seemed almost friendly in a weird way, " Naoki noted.

"Clever too. The way it just appeared after Kanji knocked the monsters down was just too coincidental for my tastes," Yukiko added.

Kanji cocked an eyebrow at this. "You sayin' it _waited_ for us to serve him up an easy meal? Damn, that's... actually you're right, that is smart. Probably saw us whoopin' ass and figured it best stay out of our way 'till it was dinner time."

"So these creatures never acted this way?" Naoki ask.

"Nope," Teddie said. A memory floated into his head as he thought about it. "Hmm... Nao-chan told me she had an idea about why the shadows act differently than before. She said something about how the fog did something to their minds that it made them more violent and unable to think properly. It makes sense when I think about it. I mean I still can't remember anything from before it appeared and the shadows were a lot more aggressive two years ago. "

"I'll tell Naoto next time I see her. She'd love to hear about a shadow that thinks. Well 'sides Ted of course," Kanji noted.

The sound of something gurgling interrupted his next thought, but luckily it came from Naoki and not some new eldritch horror. "Man, we must have been at this for awhile," Kanji said. "Tell you guys what, we'll take a break soon-ish. Just don't feel right to hang around the scene of the crime if you catch my drift. Anyone mind?" With no objections, the group headed further into the valley.

The party found themselves by a lake with a picnic table nearby. The sight of something so ordinary threw Naoki for a loop, but he wasn't complaining. The hours of walking had started to wear down on him and he was happy for the respite. He started to move towards it when a small but firm hand grabbed his arm and hauled him back. He spun around looking for the owner of the surprising strong hand and found a worried Yukiko. "Wait a moment Naoki-san. We're not sure if that's a shadow or not," she explained quietly.

Naoki was taken back by this. Normally such a thought was ridiculous but after all he'd been attacked by a moving table the caution was starting to sound reasonable. "So how do we check?" he asked.

"We came up with a system. Teddie if you please?"

"With pleasure Yuki-chan, " Teddie said as he moved sneakily towards the innocent looking picnic bench. You could tell he was using the stealthy approach since his shoes squeaked more quietly. Naoki looked on fascination. What would he do? Attack the table maybe, or make some alien sound to shock and confuse it? His curiosity was mounting by the moment as Ted painfully slowly inched up on his target. He stopped just a couple of feet away from the table, sizing it up with through the eye slits in his mascot suit. Reaching into his pocket, Teddie pulled out a something long and wooden. "A wand?" he whispered to Kanji but his gruff friend offered no clue. And then without fanfare, Teddie simply poked the table.

"You guys see it move?" he shouted back.

"Nope, all clear Teddie," Yukiko said simply.

"Great, I'm famished! Good work Ted!" Kanji shouted enthusiastically before plopping down.

"You guys spent all that time facing these things and all you can come up with was poking it with a stick?" Naoki asked incredulously.

Yukiko just shrugged. "It works surprisingly well. Shadow monsters hate it when you prod them like a piece of meat. Sometimes the simplest approach works best."

"I guess so, " he said while trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He had been looking forward to something cool. At least lunch wasn't a disappointment. Yukiko had prepared boxed lunches for her teammates and much to everyone's surprise it had actually come out edible. Heck, it was tasty. The tale of the mess Yukiko made with her friend Chie for their sophomore camping trip had become legendary around school. It was so rancid that one bite had caused Yu to lose one hour from his life and Yousuke claimed he suffered a mild stroke upon sampling the slop he dubbed "Mystery Food X". Naoki only remembered this midway the lunch he was sharing with Kanji. So that explained his usually ravenous friend's uncharacteristically generous offer that he got first dibs.

"My compliments to the chef. This must have been the best lunch I've eaten in years, " Naoki said to Yukiko.

Yukiko beamed. "Why thank you Naoki-san. I'm certainly glad that someone appreciates the effort I've gone through, " she said as she cast a glare at Kanji.

"Hey, I'm eating it right? I knew you'd get good at that cooking stuff if you stick with it," Kanji protested a little too loudly.

"It was never in doubt," Teddie added cheerfully. "If Chie-chan can get good enough to cook for Sensei, then Yuki-chan can do it too!"

"Speaking of Chie, I ain't heard from her in awhile. How's the cop shop treatin' her?" Kanji asked.

"The Police Academy? Oh it sounds like she sounds much happier than the last time I spoke to her. Don't mention this to her, but I think being able to see Yu-kun everyday helped a lot with her homesickness. As for her training, I think Chie mentioned something about starting the conflict management portion, " Yukiko mentioned.

"I hope she does okay with that, " Naoki said. "I mean no offence to your friend Yukiko-san but she does tend to be a bit... short tempered at times."

"Hell of an understatement Naoki, "Kanji commented. "I'm still feeling that kick she gave me on the camping trip. "

"She's not that bad. Well, not these days at least, " Yukiko meekly said. "She has calmed down since high school."

At that moment, the mix of heavy food and his late night finally caught up to Kanji. A yawn was developing but he didn't want the others to comment on his sleepiness. He tried his best to suppress the yawn but it escaped his mouth before his hand could make it

"Another late night with the girls?" Naoki asked.

Kanji let out a sheepish grin. "Yeah, lost track of time. Naoto got buried under some autopsy stuff, and Rise's recording session got all screwed up so they had to redo a bunch of tracks. They didn't get online 'til 11-ish or so. "

"Always up for a challenge, eh Kanji? I know guys who have trouble doing the long distance thing with one girl, and yet you decided to double up, " Naoki joked.

Teddie beamed at this exchange. "I'm soooo beary proud of our Kanji. I remember when he could barely string together sentences in front of Nao-chan, and look at him now. He's become a real ladies man!"

"I don't think that means what you think it does Teddie. Still, I for one never imaged he'd become such a Casanova," Yukiko added with an impish smile.

A blush immediate broke out across Kanji's face as his eyes went wide. "H-hey, it ain't like that! I mean, it ain't like I'm cheatin' on them or something."

And he was technically correct. Naoki was still murky on the details but somehow Kanji had ended up dating both girls at the same time, and oddly enough at their insistence. He knew that he'd dated Naoto and Rise at different points during high school but in both cases the relationship ended as amicable as possible. The words spoken at the time were different but the logic boiled down to the same thing: in order to make headway in their career they'll be out of the country for long periods of time and it wouldn't be fair to make him wait on a mostly absent girlfriend. Kanji got that, he really did, but he still missed them something terrible.

From what Naoki noticed the girls missed him too. Once in a while he'd have Naoto come into the shop to browse and Rise seemed to miraculously run into him while visiting her grandmother. The conversation would usually start out with small talk and predictably it would turn to what Kanji was up to. He didn't mind the company but he found this tiptoeing around his friend to be a mite ridiculous at times. He remembered mentioning it to his girlfriend at the time and she said something about Rise's and Naoto's friendship probably making things messier than they should. "Nothing ruins a friendship like fighting over a guy", she told him at the time.

He remembered hearing the news. A few months ago he was brainstorming new ideas for the shop when Kanji excitedly barged in. He told him, "we're getting back together!" and when Naoki asked with which girl, he just said, "er... both of 'em." The way he described it, Kanji became the first timeshared boyfriend, having his time divided up between the two of them. Nobody gets heartbroken and Kanji wouldn't be alone that often, a win-win situation. From what he gathered it was the girls that approached him with the idea, although he wasn't sure if it was the pragmatic Naoto or the unusually bold Rise that had that particular brainstorm. Definitely wasn't Kanji's idea. His friend was many things but he wasn't that bold when it came to matters of that the heart. The whole thing was definitely out of the norm but seeing how happy they all appeared, he couldn't fault them for taking the path less traveled.

"We're just teasing Kanji-kun. I think it's sweet in a way, "Yukiko said.

Naoki was going to reply when something much more urgent was brought to his attention. Nature was calling but he was too nervous to simply disappear. In a place like this, nature could be his undoing. "Hey uh... excuse me for a second. I just got to you know..."

Thankfully Teddie caught on before he embarrassed himself further in front of Yukiko. "Oh, I get you. You're making that funny look Yousuke gets after drinking too many Dr. Salt sodas. You can use those bushes we passed back there. It won't attack you and the leaves are nice and cushy in case you need them."

"Thanks Ted-san!" He shouted as he tore off in the direction Teddie pointed out to him.

"Holler if you run in trouble!" Kanji called out before returning to their conversation.

After taking care of business, Naoki was relieved. He was on his way back when he thought he heard something nearby. Crouching behind the bush, he peaked his head out slowly in case it was an animal. This time he heard the sound much more clearly. It sounded like someone calling out for help. He knew it wasn't his travel companions since it came from the direction away from the picnic bench but he couldn't ignore the cry either. If the man that killed his sister could travel to this place then it was possible that someone else had gained that ability and gotten hurt. Naoki knew he'd never be able to live with himself if someone died because of his inaction. He moved, slowly but surely, towards the cluster of trees nearby. He was almost there when he felt the ground shift and then gave way underneath his weight. For a moment he was weightless in freefall before the darkness swallowed him up.

A/N: In this chapter I wanted to explore what it must be like for the characters to be part of those random encounters that frequently popped up.

Reviews are always welcomed.


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